Metroid II: Return of Samus
Metroid II: Return of Samus

Acquire the Varia Suit

Secure the Varia Suit in Metroid II: Return of Samus to significantly reduce damage from enemies and environmental hazards on planet SR388.

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Acquire the Varia Suit

The Varia Suit is an essential upgrade that significantly reduces damage taken from enemies and environmental hazards. Obtaining it will make your journey through SR388 much more manageable, especially as you delve into hotter, more dangerous areas. This guide will walk you through the steps to secure this vital piece of equipment.

Prerequisites

Before attempting to acquire the Varia Suit, ensure you have the following abilities:

  • Spider Ball: Necessary for navigating vertical shafts and reaching hidden passages.
  • Spring Ball: While not strictly required for the Varia Suit itself, it will greatly assist in reaching the area where it's located and other subsequent areas.
  • Bombs: Essential for destroying certain blocks and revealing new paths.

Location and Walkthrough

The Varia Suit is located deep within the ruins, in an area accessible after defeating several Metroids and utilizing your Spider Ball ability. Follow these detailed steps:

  1. Return to the Central Shaft: From the initial landing site, make your way back down the long, vertical shaft that leads to the main cavern system. This is the area where you first encountered the Alpha Metroids.
  2. Navigate to the Lower Right Exit: Once at the bottom of this central shaft, head to the right. You'll pass through several screens, likely encountering more Alpha Metroids if you haven't cleared them all yet.
  3. Locate the Spider Ball Path: Continue right until you reach a room with a large, seemingly impassable wall on the right side. Look for a narrow, vertical passage on the ceiling or upper wall that is only accessible via the Spider Ball.
  4. Ascend with Spider Ball: Activate your Spider Ball and carefully roll up this vertical passage. This will lead you to a new, higher-level area.
  5. Proceed Through the New Area: Once you emerge from the Spider Ball passage, you'll be in a series of interconnected rooms. Your goal is to move generally to the right and slightly downwards.
  6. Find the Hidden Passage: In one of these rooms, you'll encounter a section where the floor appears to be solid, but there's a suspicious block. Use your Bombs on the floor in this area to reveal a hidden passage leading downwards.
  7. Descend to the Varia Suit Chamber: Drop through the newly opened passage. This will lead you directly into a small, enclosed chamber.
  8. Claim the Varia Suit: In the center of this chamber, you will see the iconic Varia Suit upgrade. Simply walk into it to acquire it.

Post-Acquisition Benefits

Once you have the Varia Suit, Samus's armor will change color (typically to orange in most Metroid games, though on the Game Boy, this is represented by a change in sprite shading). More importantly, you will immediately notice a significant reduction in damage from enemy attacks and environmental hazards. This makes exploring the deeper, more hostile regions of SR388, particularly those with lava or extreme temperatures, much safer and more efficient. Congratulations, bounty hunter!